Wow! I’ve had Quite the Adventure

I’m back in Nairobi. I still can’t believe how quickly my time in Enoosaen went by. It seems like just yesterday I was arriving in the country side.

When I arrived at the hotel in Nairobi, I felt like a kid in a candy store with all of the modern conveniences. Pillows, mirrors, electricity, running water, a gym! At this point, I’m just focused on next steps for the various projects I’ve been working on so the local staff can pick them up and continue running with them.

As I was enjoying my last few days of sunshine by the pool this weekend (I really didn’t think through leaving the sunshine to come back just in time for winter), I found myself browsing through photos from the past few months. It is pretty amazing as I look back over what I achieved and experienced.

As I contemplate an early retirement in a few years, there are definitely some good takeaways I learned about myself during this trip. If I’m volunteering, I want to be learning new skills rather than using my current skill set and not getting paid for it. I also don’t want to volunteer full-time. There are just too many other things I’m interested in doing with my time. There are a lot of creature comforts I can do without. But good bedding, a place of my own, access to/ability to cook a well- balanced diet (my well balanced diet includes good wine, beer, cheese, and bread 🙂 ) and the ability to workout are now non-negotiable.

I managed to knock out many good books that were on my reading list, but the problem is I also added significantly more. In terms of the bucket list, I crossed off quite a few items and as of yet I haven’t filled it back up.

There are lot of things and people that I’m going to miss, but there are definitely some things that I’m not going to miss, like despite having a wide-open road a motorcycle taxi or car will hold their line and not move over for people walking down the side of the road. There were a number of times where I almost pushed the motorcycle over to make a point. My hatred for this was similar to people not getting up on the bus or metro for those who need a seat or the way the school groups block the entire sidewalk in the spring. Those of you that have seen me react to those situations have a sense of how much this one drove me nuts.

Also add to the list the dust and mud. I am so done with having to have my clean my shoes every weekend. I have a whole new appreciation for sidewalks and washing machines! I also won’t miss the smell of raw sewage being sprayed across the road. It’s better than it being dumped in the river, which used to be the case, but still. I tried to get local folks riled up about it by saying they would never do this in Nairobi but most just accepted it as a way of life. I started filming some of the trucks as they were doing it, which actually caused a few to stop momentarily as they passed me only to start up again further up the road.

Lots more to say, but I’ll save that for when we catch-up in person. This time next week, I’ll be in the air on my way home. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone.